


I've Got My Loves to Keep Me Warm

by bookworm213



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Ballet, Bucky Steve and Sam spoil Anna, Bucky and nat are good parents, Christmas, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Mentions of past child abuse, Natasha teaching her daughter ballet, bucky and nat adopt a child, buckynat secret santa 2015, domestic buckynat, for blond beard on tumblr
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-10
Updated: 2016-01-10
Packaged: 2018-05-13 01:41:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,921
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5689711
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bookworm213/pseuds/bookworm213
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bucky and Natasha find a little girl named Anna in a Red Room facility. They adopt her. This is their first Christmas together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I've Got My Loves to Keep Me Warm

**Author's Note:**

  * For [magdalehnsherr](https://archiveofourown.org/users/magdalehnsherr/gifts).



> Really hope you enjoy this, sweetie! I had a great time writing it! :)

Natasha opened her eyes slowly, unaccustomed to not being woken up by the usual alarm. She glanced at the clock, which greeted her with a blaring 9:30AM. She yawned, and then frowned, realizing that James’s familiar weight on the other side of the bed was missing. Usually he would be there to wake her with a smile, with his lips caressing her own or someplace . . .down below, but that was another story.

I was only when she heard the familiar sound of James snoring coming from down the hall that she realized where he was.

“Not again,” Natasha whispered, concern creasing her brow.

She slipped out of bed and padded down the hallway, ignoring the brightly-lit christmas lights hung throughout (Christmas Eve, that’s what day it was, Natasha reminded herself). She stopped in front of the door closest to her and James’s room, decorated with a crayon drawing of a wreath. She opened it carefully enough so it wouldn’t make a sound, and peered in.

James was curled up on the tiny child’s bed, mouth half hanging half open as he snored softly, metal arm tucked away as to not cause discomfort. His flesh arm was wrapped protectively around a tiny figure wrapped in a blanket, the only sign that there was someone under that blanket being the little foot sticking out and the bob of dirty blond hair.

Natasha sighed, resting her head against the door frame. Anna must’ve had another bad night. It happened often, ever since she and James had found her chained to a bedpost in a rusting Red Room dormitory in Moscow. After hearing rumors of some Red Room scientists attempting to start up the program again, Natasha and James had busted into their warehouse, guns blazing, only to find a frightened little girl and no one else. It seemed like the scientists had fled in panic when they heard the Black Widow and the Winter Soldier were hunting them down. Coulson had assured them both that all of the new SHIELD was working on tracking them down. But that left the problem of the girl.

Anna had been terrified and uncooperative when they first found her. She’d screamed and tried to attack anyone who came near. Natasha understood it all too well. She had no idea the extent of the girl’s torture, but she knew exactly what it felt like to be abused to such an extent that you were afraid of someone even touching you.

That was six months ago. Anna was slowly but surely showing signs of improvement. She had stopped attacking when a person came too close, and she had started to laugh and play as a normal child should. But she still had terrible nightmares that left her screaming in the middle of the night. That ended with either Natasha or James crawling into bed with her until she fell asleep.

Natasha padded softly into the kitchen adjoining the living room, where she turned the lights on low and started brewing coffee. She glanced at the twinkling lights adorning their Christmas tree: a tiny fir that James had bought to fit their smallish apartment. They had helped Anna decorate it using homemade ornaments: colorful candy canes and snowmen.

Natasha had no idea if this was Anna’s first Christmas, or if she even had a family before she was taken by the Red Room scientists. She refused to talk about her life before they found her, and Natasha didn’t want to push it. After all, she had spent most of her life locking her darkest secrets behind barricades in her head. She could hardly blame Anna for doing the same.

 

The sound of footsteps made Natasha turn her head. James stood in the entryway to the kitchen, looking at Natasha sleepily through a curtain of messy bed-hair. Natasha stifled a laugh as he grinned and walked over to her, wrapping his arms around he and pressing a kiss to her neck.

“Morning, lyubov moya.” 

She laughed and turned her head so she could kiss his cheek. “Morning yourself, milii moi.” She disentangled herself from his arms and went to pour him and herself some coffee. Her eyes grew worried as she turned to hand him his mug. “How is she?”

“She wouldn’t tell me what it was about. Probably the handcuffs again. Or her parents.” James sighed as he lifted the mug to his lips. He looked at her with sad eyes. “You still have nightmares. We both do. This isn’t going to go away six months after it happened.”

“I know.” Natasha set her mug down and wrapped her arms around James’ neck. “Anna deserves to have a good Christmas. Her presents are already in the closet. Can you do the shopping for dinner tomorrow? Steve and Sam are coming, and between you three we’re probably going to need at least two turkeys.” She couldn’t help but grin as smoothed the hair down the left side of his face.

He grinned back. “Better make that three turkeys. Oh, and Sam and Steve probably bought Anna more presents than we did. They treat her just like a princess-“

“Bucky? Nat?”

Anna stood in the doorway, holding her favorite stuffed lion and dressed in pajamas printed with colorful monkeys. Her eyes were foggy from sleep, but held a glimmer or excitement at the overhearing of her uncles Steve and Sam giving her presents.

“Morning Anna!” Natasha swooped the girl up in her arms, kissing her gently on top of the head. “Do you know what day is tomorrow?” She asked with a smile.

“Christmas?” Anna asked, a little shyly. “That’s right, and tomorrow you’ll get to see Steve and Sam, and they’ll be presents under the tree and all the turkey we could ever eat, but today we’re going to make cookies and get things ready for dinner tomorrow, okay?” 

Anna nodded. “Okay.” Natasha set her down and James grinned and mussed Anna’s dirty blond hair. “Mmmm, can’t wait for those cookies, solnyshko! You’re the best cook in the house! Remember when I ate all those brownies you made last week? I could eat those forever!” Anna giggled and gave James a kiss on the cheek before skipping out of the room.

Natasha smirked and raised an eyebrow at him. “I’m not sure it’s only Steve and Sam that treat Anna like a princess.” Since they took her in, James had spoiled Anna to the point of it exasperating Natasha. She had learned enough about tough love from being Auntie Nat to Clint and Laura’s kids, but James was hopelessly lost to that skill, and Steve and Sam were complete enablers. The three of them had taken Anna to Coney Island one afternoon and had returned with them winning for Anna nearly every giant stuffed animal in the theme park. It had taken all day to find places for them in her room.

The rest of the day went by in a whirlwind. James brought home three giant turkeys for Christmas dinner, which he seasoned and threw in the oven. Natasha blared Christmas songs as she and Anna made a large gingerbread house with gingerbread inhabitants. Anna’s favorite song was Jingle Bell Rock, and Natasha put it on loop so Anna could hum along to the music.

Later that night Natasha and James sat curled up together on the couch. Anna had fallen asleep a little while ago, and James had carried her to her bedroom. Her presents were carefully laid out under the Christmas tree, which was brightly lit as the lights in the room were turned low.

James nuzzled into the crook of her neck. “Please let her not have another nightmare,” he whispered. Natasha could only nod in agreement, turning her head so she could plant a kiss against his collarbone. James responded by kissing her more forcefully, his flesh hand gently cupping her breast through her thin t-shirt. Natasha gasped and turned around fully so she could push him down on the couch and get on top of him, her hands and mouth freely exploring. She heard James gasp out a laugh and whisper:

“You’re the best present I could ever wish for, Natalia.”

Her and James had evidently fallen asleep on the couch, because Natasha woke to Anna pulling on her Pajama shirt. “Nat, Nattie! Are all those presents for me?” Her eyes were shining with excitement.

Natasha turned to look at James, eyes going wide as they both realized that Anna had not woken them up once during the night about a nightmare. 

“Yes they are, solnyshko! And merry Christmas!” James said with a huge grin. Anna squealed happily and went over to the tree as Natasha and James slid down from the couch to join her.

James had done most of the shopping, obviously. Natasha watched as Anna tore open presents revealing stuffed animals, books, and dolls. She made sure to send James a few sideways eye rolls, and he responded with the most innocent looking puppy eyes imaginable.

“The last one’s from me, sweetheart,” Natasha said with a smile. Anna carefully took hold of a smaller size present wrapped delicately in pink wrapping paper and ribbon. Inside was a small box and when it was opened Anna pulled out a tiny pair of pink ballet slippers.

Natasha swallowed hard. She wasn’t sure if Anna had been at the Red Room long enough for ballet to be used as part of her training. She was slightly worried the shoes would have a negative affect on her. But Anna was looking at them in a mixture of delight and awe, enough to make Natasha’s fears dissipate.

Anna giggled as Natasha slipped the slippers on. Natasha stood up and raised her arms above her head, balancing on her toes. “This is called a pointe, try it!” Anna mimicked her move, a little clumsily, and James grinned and clapped. “Bravo! You’ll be dancing at the Bolshoi in no time!”  
Natasha and Anna went through the first, second, and third positions until Steve and Sam arrived, carrying loads of presents in their arms. Anna ran over still in her slippers and they swopped her up. “Merry Christmas sweetheart!” Steve exclaimed, grinning as widely as Natasha had ever seen him. He hugged James and gave Natasha a kiss on the cheek. “America’s sweetheart!”Sam said with a loving smile. He revealed three apple pies he had bought for dessert.

Anna was in a hurry to show them her ballet positions. Steve and Sam beamed and cheered and clapped. Her own private cheerleading squad, Natasha thought wryly. “Watch Nat dance!” Anna ran over and tugged on her sleeve. A slight blush crept into Natasha’s cheeks, but Sam, Steve, and James cheered her on enough that she assumed the pointe position, raising her arms gracefully above her head and grinning ridiculously.

The three turkeys turned out to be just enough for dinner. Once all the food was devoured, the five of them sat comatose by the tree as white Christmas played softly on the stereo. Anna was half asleep in Natasha’s arms, still wearing the ballet shoes. James looked at them from where him and Sam and Steve were sitting. “Guess we know what Anna’s favorite present was,” he said softly. 

Natasha picked Anna up and carried her over to James. She sat on his lap and smiled. “This is probably the best Christmas present I’ve ever had,” She whispered as she kissed him deeply, lost in this moment of holiday bliss.”


End file.
